When hospice volunteer Shirman Yancy was assigned to assist terminally-ill Leon Hankins, he knew he would be helping him through the last months of his life. He was surprised, though, to find the family he has helped was involved in the beginning of his own.

Dr. James Blalack, great-grandfather to Leon’s wife and caretaker Reda, was the doctor who delivered Yancy on Aug. 18, 1937. A relationship built from birth, Yancy’s family also grew up next to the Blalacks in Ben Hur.

Through his visits with the Hankins family, Yancy has been able to share memories of Reda Hankin’s family and gain knowledge of a prevalent relationship from his childhood.

“We got to talking about our family and I told him my dad was a Blalack, and I was telling him about my great-grandfather and he said he delivered him 74 years ago,” Reda Hankins said.

Yancy said what stuck out most about Blalack was the artistic cane he carried that donned the physician’s symbol and a horse Blalack whittled into it.

Yancy shared another story of how Blalack incorrectly filled out his birth certificate. It wasn’t until 18 years later when Yancy applied for a job that he found out the middle name his mother gave him was not the name he was legally given by the doctor.

“I went through school with my name being Gene, and it was on my grade transcripts and everything,” he said. “Boeing Airplane Company offered me a job, and they needed a grade transcript and a birth certificate, and when I got them they didn’t match. My birth certificate said ‘Shirman Leon,’ and my grade transcript said ‘Shirman Gene.’”

Yancy, who along with his wife has been a hospice volunteer through the Arkansas Department of Health for more than 10 years, said all of the families he assists are unique, he hasn’t met one that offered such a unique coincidence.

“We just thought it was kind of awesome,” he said. “It’s a small world.”

Hospice certified volunteer coordinator Glenda Luter said Yancy is available “at the drop of a hat” to visit with the Hankins family whenever he’s needed.

“He’s a support system for (Reda),” she said. “He wants to help those in need. He has a hospice heart.”

For more information on the hospice program within the Arkansas Department of Health — which Luter stressed is separate from Arkansas Hospice — call Luter at 968-4177.